


Bitter or Sweet

by idra



Series: 31 Days of October [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, M/M, Not Underage, Trick or Treating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 08:28:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16929870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idra/pseuds/idra
Summary: Steve and Bucky egg someone's house, run away from him, and run over a young guy out trick or treating with his best friend.





	Bitter or Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, I put not underage and don't warn for it, because literally, nothing happens but hand holding. Yes there are feelings, but nothing happens, nor will it in my universe. Tony is 15 in this, the others are 19 and 20. I just couldn't get this idea out of my head, tbh, so I had to write it. 
> 
> Prompt was trick.

“Hey you kids! Get back here!” 

Steve looks at Bucky and both of them go wide eyed before they take off down the street. A few moments later, they’re knocking down a kid who’s trick or treating with an older guy. “Oh shit,” Steve says, stopping and helping the kid up. “I am so sorry.” 

“Watch where you’re going, asshole,” the older of the two says. 

“Hey, fuck you, dickwad. He said he was sorry,” Bucky says, walking back and getting in the face of the older boy. 

“You assholes just ran my friend over.” 

“And my friend said he was sorry, dick face.” Bucky moves closer until the two are standing nose to nose. 

Steve looks down at the younger of the two. “Are you okay? I’m sorry my friend and I ran you over.” 

“It’s cool. I’m sorry my friend is screaming at your friend.” The boy smiles and Steve licks his lips. The boy doesn’t really look that young. “I’m Tony.”

“Steve. I’m Steve.” Steve blushes and shakes his head. “Sorry again about running you over, and you don’t have to apologize for him. It’s fine.” Steve looks behind himself when he hears the old man who’s house he and Bucky had egged yelling. “Shit. Buck! We gotta go man!” He grabs Bucky and starts to head away, only for Tony to grab his free hand. 

“Wait.” Tony reaches out, tugging at Steve’s sweatshirt and Steve is too startled to do anything but let Tony strip him out of his sweatshirt. Tony wraps it around his own waist, then takes off Steve’s cap, placing it in his bag. He looks over at his friend. “Rhodey, help me out here!” 

“Tony, man...” 

“Just do it, Rhodey!” Tony focuses back on Steve and reaches up, fluffing Steve’s hair into spikes. He tilts his head ad smiles. “There. Now you don’t look the same.” 

Rhodey growls softly, but gestures for Bucky to give him his sweatshirt, taking his own off and handing it over. “Here. Put your hair up.” He hands Bucky a rubber band from around his wrist and pulls a pair of glass frames from his pocket. He puts them on Bucky’s face and rolls his eyes. “Now act like you’ve been with us all night.”

“What?” Bucky asked, glaring at Rhodey.

Steve gets what Tony and Rhodey are trying to do and smiles, reaching over and smacking Bucky’s shoulder. “Just go with it. We’re trick or treating with Tony and Rhodey.” Steve looks over at Rhodey and smiles. “I’m Steve by the way. This is Bucky.” 

“James,” Bucky says, at the same time Rhodey does. “What?” they reply in unison again. 

“My name is James,” Bucky says, scowling.

“Oh. So is mine,” Rhodey says. “James Rhodes.” 

“James Buchanan Barnes, which is where the Bucky came from.” 

Rhodey nods. “Cool. That’s Tony.”

Bucky turns, looking at Tony. “Hey man. Sorry we ran you over. We didn’t mean to.” 

“It’s cool.”

Steve smiles a little. “Steve Rogers.” 

“I’m Tony.” Tony looks at Rhodey and chews on his lip for a moment. “Tony Stark.” 

Bucky looks at Tony and frowns. “Why are you trick or treating? Aren’t you like sixteen?” 

“Fifteen,” Tony says softly, ducking his head. 

“He’s never been trick or treating before,” Rhodey says, pushing at Bucky. “I wanted to give him that experience. His parents are assholes who didn’t let him, because it was frivolous.” 

“Oh,” Bucky says, looking at Tony again. 

Steve nudges Tony gently. “Hey. I only got to go trick or treating once. I was like seven, and I ended up eating a bunch of the candy and it turns out, I managed to eat all the candy I was allergic to. Ended up in the hospital as my throat tried to close. Mom wouldn’t let me go again.” Steve shrugs. “How’d you two meet? You seem too young to have met James in high school?” 

“At MIT.” Tony shuffles from foot to foot. “Rhodey’s in the ROTC for the Air Force there, and he had to share a dorm room with me.”

“What about you two?” Rhodey asks.

“We were next door neighbors back in grade school and I was always having to save his scrawny ass.” 

“Scrawny?” Tony asks, looking Steve up and down. “He’s six foot plus and easily 200 pounds.” 

“Not always,” Steve says, blushing a little at the way Tony is looking at him. He shouldn’t even be having these thoughts about a fifteen-year-old, but Tony is cute and seems like a nice kid. Bucky seems to know who he is, but Steve doesn’t know the name. “When I was fifteen, I had a growth spurt. Up until then I was five feet nothing and weighed less than a hundred if I was soaking wet. Now I’m eighteen and I’ve filled out.” 

“And grown a foot,” Bucky adds, rolling his eyes.

Tony puts his hand on Steve’s arm. “Impressive.” He smiles, ducking his head a little and looking up at Steve through his lashes. “So, why are you two running from that old guy anyhow?” Tony asks, tugging them along as they hit the next house after a group of kids go running by. 

“We kind of egged his house?” Steve says, shrugging. “I never really got to do the Halloween trick thing. Bucky thought it’d be fun to show me how to egg people’s houses.”

“How old are you two?” Rhodey asks, rolling his eyes as he stands to the side when Tony steps up to the door. 

Bucky and Steve move to stand by Rhodey, letting Tony smile sweetly at the lady who opens the door. “Uhm, I’m nineteen and Buck is twenty. How old are you?” 

“Just turned twenty.” He looks over at Tony, charming the lady at the door. “I’ve known him for two years, and he’s already about ready to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. He’ll stay and get his Master’s, then probably his doctorate.” He shakes his head. “His parents are douchebags, and he needs friends who can keep him out of trouble.” He glances at Steve. “But, I really don’t like the way you’re looking at him.” 

“I can keep my hands to myself, James. Yeah, I think he’s cute, and yeah, I’m not gonna lie. The idea of dating him is definitely crossing my mind, but he is fifteen and I’m nineteen, and in five years, that won’t make a difference, but right now, it’s... no. But if he wants to date? Yeah. I’m thinking I’ll ask him out.” 

“He’s a child.” 

“And I’m not going to have sex with him. I just want to take him out for coffee or dinner or a movie.” Steve frowns. “Look, I get that he’s only fifteen, and no, I wouldn’t touch him like that until he’s legal. But he’s cute and he’s sweet enough to want to help me and my buddy out. One date does not mean sex.” 

Bucky pushes at Rhodey’s shoulder. “Stevie’s all kinds of proper. He’s never had a girlfriend or a boyfriend. And he’s only ever been on one date, and Peggy had to make the first move. Pretty sure he’s still never had sex, though he won’t confirm that.”

Rhodey glances at Bucky and grins. “Really?” 

“Yeah.”

Steve blushes and glares at Bucky. “You’re an asshole.”

“Sorry, bro. Just telling him like it is. And also, reassuring him that your intentions are as pure as snow.”

Tony joins them, beaming as he holds up four full sized Snicker bars. “I got one for each of us.” He bounces a little. “She was really nice. Asked why I was trick or treating so old, and about my costume...” Tony spins a little, pulling aside Steve’s sweatshirt to show them the back of his costume, which consists of a fluffy bunny tail. “We couldn’t make the ears stay on. So, I told her I was a were-bunny who hadn’t fully changed, and she laughed.” He tucks his hand into Steve’s. “Let’s hit another couple of houses?” 

Steve smiles at him and nods. “Let’s go.”

Bucky and Rhodey follow along, both sighing as they approach the next couple of houses. A short while later, they’re heading back towards the MIT campus and Tony grins at his friends-- he’s so happy to have made new friends. “I have a treat for you guys.” 

“You’ve already shared your candy with us,” Steve says, letting Tony continue to pull him along. His hand is so warm in Tony’s, it makes Steve feel far too warm in just his long-sleeved shirt. 

“Better treat.” Tony walks up to what’s obviously a sorority house and knocks on the door, as Rhodey and Bucky jog after him, trying to get him to stop. “Hi!” He beams at girls who answer the door. “I’m Tony. These are my friends, Rhodey, Bucky, and Steve. They took me trick or treating. I’ve never been.” He bites his lip, not having to fake the sadness in his voice. “My parents thought it was a waste of time. Can you believe a fifteen-year-old who’s never been trick or treating? But these guys are the best. They helped with my costume and brought me to so many places. Look at all my candy!” He shows the girls, who are cooing over him, his bag of candy. “But they deserve to have a good Halloween too, so... I was wondering, since you seem to be having a party... Can we join?” 

Rhodey and Bucky look at Tony like he’s the best thing ever as the girls take their hands and pull them inside. “We’re just having a sisters’ night, but you boys do deserve to have some fun,” one of the girls says, looking Rhodey over. She smirks a little. “My name’s Carol. What’s yours?” 

“I’m Rhodey. Uh, James Rhodes.” 

“Nice to meet you, James.” Carol pulls him towards the living room. 

A redhead has grabbed onto Bucky, stroking his arm. “It is so sweet of you guys to take him trick or treating. I’m Natasha.” 

“James Barnes. Bucky.” Bucky grins back at Steve as he lets Natasha tug him into the living room as well.

Steve makes a face when a blonde grabs his arm and smiles up at him. “I’m Sharon. It sure is nice of you to take your little friend trick or treating.” 

“Uh...” He looks back at Tony who, despite the overly shiny eye, is smiling. “I...” He tugs his arm from her grasp and shakes his head. “I mean, yeah. We’re friends, but... Really, it was all Rhodey and Bucky. I just did it to spend time with Tony.” He turns back to smile at Tony, who’s frowning at him. He doesn’t even notice as Sharon huffs and stalks into the house.

“Steve, what the hell. I give you the perfect opportunity to make time with cute sorority girls and you blow her off? She’s a knock out.” 

“Yeah, but...” Steve licks his lips. Here’s his chance. “I’d prefer to spend time with you. I don’t... I’m not...” He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “I’m gay. I prefer men. Guys. I really like guys who are brunette, with dark brown eyes. Who are shorter than me, at least for now...” He licks his lips again and drags his teeth over his bottom lip. “I... Tony, would you want to go grab some coffee with me sometime?” 

“I... If my dad finds out that I’m gay, he will kill me, and then you, and then me again.” 

“Well, if I get a date with you, it’ll be worth it to die. But I’ll protect you.” Steve cups Tony’s cheek in his hand. “Please?” 

Tony nods, leaning into Steve’s touch, his eyes closing slightly. “Uhm. We should tell the James’ where we’re going.” 

“I’ll let them know,” a brunette says, chuckling. “I’m Jane. Go on and have fun.” She smiles and waves them off, heading inside.

Steve smiles at Tony. “Coffee?” 

“Yeah. That sounds good.” Tony holds out his hand and Steve takes it, beaming at him. This has been the best Halloween ever, starting the night with tricks and ending with treats.


End file.
